By Hosea Parah
Eight African male table tennis players have secured qualification for the 2027 International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Championships Finals in Astana, Kazakhstan, following their performances at the African qualification tournament in Tangier, Morocco.
The qualified players include: Egypt’s Youssef Abdelaziz, Mohamed Elbeiali, Mahmoud Helmy, and Omar Assar, alongside Tunisia’s Wassim Essid, Algeria’s Stephane Ouiche, and Benin’s Abdel-Kader Salifou.
Badri Mostafa of Egypt also secured qualification, bringing the number of confirmed African representatives to eight, with one additional qualification spot still available.
The qualifiers have earned the opportunity to compete on the global stage, where they will represent Africa against some of the world’s best table tennis players.
The qualification campaign in Tangier has provided the players with a pathway to the prestigious competition in Astana, as Africa continues its push for greater representation at the world championships.
With one spot remaining, the race for the final African berth is expected to generate further excitement as players seek to complete the continent’s list of representatives for the 2027 championship.
